Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations.

We welcome, as a part of our staff and as partners, people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Background

Catholic Relief Services has worked in Uganda since 1965, initially providing emergency assistance to Sudanese refugees living in the north. Over the years, CRS has expanded its programming to also address development needs throughout Uganda.

Purpose

The Partnership and Capacity Strengthening Advisor serves as the lead staff person for all aspects of partnership and capacity strengthening in the country, including Strategy Leadership, Communication and Relationship Management, and Coordination.

Additional responsibilities could include Program Support as well as Staff Supervision as the country program continues to expand. S/he serves as primary liaison between CRS and its partners, and is responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships.

S/he ensures the understanding and application of CRS’ Partnership Principles, and is a resource person for CRS and partner staff engaged in joint programs and/or other partnership activities, with the primary purpose of ensuring that partnerships are effective and mutually beneficial.

S/he ensures relevant information is shared appropriately and effectively. S/he is responsible for ensuring partnership and capacity strengthening tools, including the Memorandum of Understanding, Partnership Reflections, Partnership Scorecard, etc. are developed and applied appropriately and in keeping with CRS standards and best practice.

S/he further serves as primary liaison with regional and HQ-based partnership and capacity strengthening staff, and ensures the adoption and sharing of CRS and peer agency best practice. S/he supports projects or components of projects that are focused on capacity strengthening.

Specific responsibilities

Strategy Leadership

• Provide overall leadership of partnership strategy and related initiatives, including goal and target development and related monitoring and evaluation;

• Ensure the application of specific methodologies, including partnership reflections and scorecards, designed to ensure the appropriateness and quality of the partnership strategy;

• Identify and pursue funding opportunities to support/enhance the partnership strategy; and

• Identify potential new partners through the use of CRS tools, including partner mappings and assessments.

Communication and Relationship Management

• Support the development and adoption of a common language around partnership, capacity strengthening and institution strengthening among CRS and partner staff;

• Ensure the effective sharing of information, including key decisions, status updates, successes and challenges, with the appropriate people within CRS and partners (in keeping with situational demands and the requirements of established agreements);

• Build and/or maintain strong and effective relationships between CRS and partners, through the committed application of Partnership Principles and other relevant methods;

• Identify concerns of significance related to partnerships and/or partner implemented projects, and work to address them, ensuring they are brought to attention of Country Representative and other senior management as needed; and

• Ensure completion and dissemination of reports/documentation of partnership initiatives in keeping with established requirements.

Capacity Strengthening

• Work with key staff to develop a strategy for capacity strengthening and leadership development for partners;

• Provide strategic leadership in the development, identification and dissemination of standardized approaches and best practices to implement the strategy;

• Work with staff of relevant program, finance and operations sectors, to develop/adapt and provide

• Serve as primary liaison with regional and HQ-based partnership/capacity strengthening staff, ensuring efforts are integrated with agency strategy, best practices are being applied, and success stories are shared; and

• Coordinate with peer/donor agencies, especially Catholic agencies, in their partnership and institution-strengthening efforts, working to ensure complementarity of effort.

Church Partnership

• Ensure colleagues have the knowledge, skills and attitudes to work collaboratively and effectively with Church partners;

• Provide colleagues with needed support to understand and follow Protocol for Relations with Church Partners and other relevant tools designed to strengthen Church partnerships; and

• Oversee and support the appropriate and timely application of tools and guidance with Church partners, including Memoranda of Understanding, Partner Reflections, etc.

Program Support

• Advise on projects or project components that are focused on capacity strengthening at all stages of project cycle, including design and development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL), budget tracking, reporting, etc.;

• Provide guidance on project agreement processes;

• Support the implementation of the Sub-Recipient Financial Management Policy and develop/adapt corresponding support tools;

• Advise program, finance and other operations staff on assisting partners to be in compliance with donor regulations, reporting requirements, etc., and provide related guidance and training; and

• Support and/or lead monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) activities and processes, including partner and project site visits when appropriate.

Staff Supervision

• Supervise partnership and capacity strengthening staff, including the provision of mentoring and on-the-job training, as needed.